Cities of the Underworld

- Season 1

(2007)

Istanbul is undoubtedly one of the most dynamic and exotic cities in the world. Once the capital city of three of the world's most powerful empires--The Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman--its strategic location made it the perfect spot for empires to rise, fall...and rise again. Residents of Istanbul walk on top of remnants of these fallen civilizations...literally. Taxis drive over parts of Constantine's Lost Great Palace; children play on cobblestone streets concealing a massive Byzantine dungeon; a high school sits on a 3rd century wall leading to the bowels of a ...

Constrained for space by a stone defensive wall and steep terrain, the people of Edinburgh build both high rises and subterranean dwellings to provide living space. Out of sight, the underworld attracts all manor of seedy activities.

This program reviews Adolf Hilter's and Albert Speer's plans for a building boom that would turn Berlin into the capital city of the world. The plan included substantial below ground structures. They built strong and despite the bombing campaigns of World War Two a substantial part of the underworld survives for Eric to explore.

Much of modern Rome is built upon the foundations of the first century Roman city and was above Goraud at that time. Eric visits some of these ruins and his guides explain the activities that occurred there two thousand years ago.

Eric finds some knowledgeable guides to take him on a clandestine tour of the catacombs of Paris. Originally a limestone quarry, the vacant space produced its own utility and a rich history in war and in peace to hide things better kept unseen. But the catacombs also represent cracks in the foundation that threaten the stability of the city above the surface.

Budapest is built upon on network of natural limestone caves that have been in use since humans first moved into the area. While exploring the caves Eric shares their color history which includes several violent periods in Budapest's past.

New York City's underground harbors secrets and surprises befitting the most important city on earth. Eric shares these secrets in tours under Grand Central Terminal, the Empire State Building, the World Trade Center and New York's original aqueduct.

Join host Eric Geller as he reveals the subterranean secrets found below London's most famous landmarks and even finds Winston Churchill's hidden war rooms.

The bombardment of Naples during World War Two revealed a forgotten underground world of ancient buildings, caverns and tunnels. This was fortunate because the underground provided shelter from the bombing as well as a window into Naples past all the back to the Greek Empire.

Boston and Philadelphia are renowned for their part in America's revolutionary saga, but these cities harbor an unseen connection...the Freemasons. From the whispers of hidden tunnels and tombs beneath Boston's North End, to the incredible waterworld still intact under Philadelphia, the legendary secret society has left behind the blueprints to America's rise. And their enigmatic influence stretches from the Revolutionary Battles of Fort Mifflin to the secret struggles of the Underground Railroad. Host Don Wildman receives exclusive access to newly discovered sites ...

In and around the city of Bucharest, Romania is ripe with legends, folklore, and tales of the unknown. But its most famous tale is of the real-life Dracula, also known as Vlad the Impaler.

The landscape of Cappadocia in modern-day Turkey is unlike any other in the world, with an underground to match. Explore the subterranean world of defense where entire civilizations hid for thousands of years.

Portland, Oregon is famous for its beer and its music, but 100 years ago, it was a city full of vice. By the early 1900's, Portland was known as the most dangerous port in the world.

Rome, Italy is known for great food, edgy fashion...and its history. The Roman Empire was the largest and most powerful in history, and pieces of this great Empire can be found under practically every street in Rome.